AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24422, 7 October 1940, Page 10

AMUSEMENTS

THE CURRENT PROGRAMMES OCTAGON THEATRE " Everything Happens at Night,” now showing at the Octagon Theatre, is a comedy-romance of two rival newspaper correspondents out after a world-shatter-ing “ scoop.” It is entirely new in plot, thoroughly entertaining in dialogue, and extremely fast-moving in action. Ray Milland and Robert Cummings are the two newshawks, one typically English, the other unmistakably American. Both give first-rate characterisations of their parts. Their search is for a Nobel Peace Prize winner whose efforts led him some years before to a German concentration camp, from which he escaped, apparently to oe shot by enemy agents. After a tip, both correspondents, one taking his orders from London, the other from New York, arrive in a tiny village in Switzerland. But they find their quarry—and who should it be but that old stage and screen favourite, Maurice Moscovitch. With him, and thoroughly at home amongst the mountains and snow of Switzerland, is the real star of the show, Sonja Henle. She is definitely at her best to date, though her skating prowess has been subordinated to her undoubted charm as an actress. There is a strong supporting programme, arid the box plans are at the theatre and Begg’s. GRAND THEATRE A highly dramatic theme is exploited with marked effect in “A Woman is the Judge,’’ which heads the current programme at the Grand Theatre. This production tells an enthralling story of a woman judge who is required to try her own daughter .for murder. She resigns her position in order to undertake the defence of her daughter, whom she has not seen since she was three years of age. Frieda Inescourt gives a brilliant portrayal of the part of the judge, and Rochelle Hudson is the daughter whose crime was that she accidentally killed a blackmailer who was trying to wreck her mother’s career. The second picture is “ Outlaws of then Prairie.” in which Charles Starrett appears as a Texas ranger who is assigned to the task of ridding the district of road bandits who are persistently holding up gold shipments from Oro Grande. The film has many good situations and some exceedingly well-conceived scenes. The box plans are at the theatre and at Begg’s. REGENT THEATRE Third of the “Dr Kildare ” series of films, “ The Secret of Dr Kildare,” which is now showing at the Regent Theatre, is as engrossing and well-acted as its predecessors. It is of the type of entertainment that has strong mass appeal not only because of its human qualities, but also because it presents the subject ox medicine in a way that is easily understandable to the layman. As in the other pictures, Lionel Barrymore is the crusty, hard-boiled physician who is at heart one of the most sentimental of humans, while Lew Ayres, as his assistant, and the apple of his eye. works his way in and out of difficult situations and his superior’s good graces all with the best of intentions. Barrymore, as Dr Gillespie, is prevented from engaging in a new series of experiments, which would have been too much for his strength, by the resignation of his assistant. The latter then cures a girl's ” blindness,” with his superior help, by applied psychology: then the tangle is unravelled, and Barrymore and Ayres start their research work together once again. Among the supports is a graphic newsreel depicting the bombing of a British convoy in the English Channel. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C.

STATE THEATRE “ The Stars Look Down,” one of the most important films to come from British studios recently, is now showing at the State Theatre. This is a picture adaptation of A. J. Cronin’s famous novel of the same name, and puts a moving case for the betterment of conditions in some of the coal-mining areas in England. The main theme is told in a story concerning David Fenwick, a young man of mining stock, who gains a scholarship and goes to university, intending to devote his energies ultimately in fighting for better working conditions for the people he has known all his life. Parallel with his history of earnest endeavour and honest achievement runs that of Joe Gowlan. Joe starts off with the same handicap as David, is an avowed opportunist, and gets his start in life by robbing the till of the butcher’s shop when it is raided by hungry miners after they have been out on strike for more than three months. The cast of “ The Stars Look Down ” is strong, being headed by Michael Redgrave as David and Margaret Lockwood as Jennie. Emlyn Williams makes a splendid job of the objectionable Joe, and others worthy of special mention are Nancy Price as Mrs Fenwick, and Edward Rigby as her kindly, tolerant husband. The box plans are at the theatre and Begg’s. EMPIRE THEATRE “ Wagons Westward,” now showing at the Empire Theatre, introduces a narrative angle not usually associated with westerns, which, on the whole, are much of a muchness as regards story material. The film opens with an Indian attack being repulsed by an isolated pioneer family. During this one of the two small sons shows a definite strain of cruelty: the other, of course, being the antithesis of his brother in temperament. In manhood the Instinctively vicious son heads a gang of outlaws. Unable to apprehend the criminal, Tom Cook, the military authorities arrange with his brother, David, to capture the outlaw by trickery. This done, David impersonates ms arrested brother so that he can trap the other two bandit leaders. But the imprisoned Tom’s girl complicates matters so seriously that the uninfatuated David marries her to keep up his masquerade. The tragedy that befalls the girl is the most dramatic note in the story. Chester Morris has the dual role of Tom and David. Anita Louise is pleasing as the unfortunate Phyllis. _ Ona Munson, is attractive as her elder sister, Julie. George Haves (popular as Windy in the H °P" along Cassidy ” series) is the humorous highlight, as a shaggy and voluble old timer. Veteran Buck J ones, sheriff, rides his famous white charger. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. STRAND THEATRE An outstanding murder mystery, “ Double Alibi,” which heads the current programme at the Strand Theatre provides plenty of action and e -J cl^®n The principal roles ai?e taken by Wayne Morris, who plays a murder suspect, a detective and a reporter; Margaret Lindsay and William Gargan, while Roscoe Karns and James Burke are In o SU PP*”I: The second production is Hidden Gold, another of the Hopalong Cassidy films, which again features William Boyd. The story concerns Cassidy’s efforts to froe an innocent man from a charge of robbing a stage coach. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. ST. JAMES THEATRE A new and more sympathetic Edward G. Robinson, giving a brilliant performance in a tense, vivid theme of blazing oil well fires and a prison camp, is seen in "Blackmail,” which is showing at the c+ Tames Theatre. In it Robinson, although again in the toils of the law, is not the gangster, the killer, or the racketeer. Sent to prison nine years before the story opens for a crime he did not commit, Robinson, as an escaped convict is returned to a prison camp through the hypocrisy and treachery of a former shipmate. His tortures in the swampy jungle of the prison camp, his treatment at the hands of a bitter prison guard, his burning desire for revenge, and his escape and tensely dramatic means of avenging himself on his betrayer, combine to project Robinson upon the screen in a characterisation as stark and vivid as any he has ever done. The heavy role is admirably played by Gene Lockhart, and Ruth Hussey is convincing in the sometimes light, sometimes tragic, role of Robinson’s wife. In support is screened “ Blockheads,” an hilarious comedy featuring Laurel and Hardy. The box pians arc at the theatre, the D.1.C.. and Jacobs. MAYFAIR THEATRE " The Women," Clare Booth’s brilliant and witty satire on the habits and outlook of women of a particular class, is now being shown at the Mayfair Theatre. The cast alone is sufficient to establish the success of the production, for the principal players include Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford. Rosalind Russell. Mary Boland, Paulette Goddard. Joan Fontaine, and Virginia Wiedler. whose handling of the roles is exceptionally convincing. The second picture is “ Mystery of the White Room, an excellent murder mystery' in which Bruce Cabot, Helen Mack, Constance Worth, and Joan Woodbury are the featured players. The box plans are at the theatre arid the D.I.C.